As Nov. 6 approaches, Republicans in the City of Poughkeepsie are hoping to regain control of the Common Council, which they lost in 2005. Currently, Democrats outnumber Republicans 5 to 3 on the council.
“I feel confident that the Republicans in the City of Poughkeepsie will take back the mayor’s office, as well as the majority on the Common Council,” said City of Poughkeepsie Republican Committee chairman Paul Ackermann.
One Common Council Republican incumbent is leaving his seat – John Tkazyik, who represents the 3rd Ward, is making a bid for mayor. Tkazyik is a manager at the family-owned restaurant Andy’s Place. He faces Fred Knapp (D), a Dutchess County legislator and sales executive, who beat incumbent Mayor Nancy Cozean (D) in the September primary. Terms for both the mayor and council members are two years.
Republicans are endorsing Al Nowak Sr., a retiree, for Tkazyik’s 3rd Ward seat. Nowak faces Democrat Bob Mallory, who works for an affordable housing organization.
Republican incumbents Thomas Parise (1st Ward), a production technician, and Erik Haight (2nd Ward), an employee benefits specialist for the Health Consultant Group and volunteer coach, face Democratic challengers Frank Clark, entrepreneur, and Joseph Rich, a retired high school teacher and former county legislator.
“Over the last two years (Republicans) have developed a strong campaign plan” including grassroots campaigning and a 72-hour last dash to get out the vote, said Ackermann. “We’ve been implementing (the plan) and it has been working out very well.”
Democrats: dream on
But Ackermann’s Democratic counterpart, committee chairman Roger Christenfeld, called Republicans’ confidence a “useful fantasy.”
“This is a Democratic city and we’ve got strong Democratic candidates,” said Christenfeld. There are about 4,000 more Democrats than Republicans among registered city voters.
The Common Council’s five incumbent Democrats are all seeking reelection. They are: chairman Brian Doyle (4th Ward), an executive with a non-profit; Penny Lewis (5th Ward), retiree; Mary Solomon (6th Ward), retiree; Gwen Johnson (7th Ward), real estate agent; and Dennis Weinel (8th Ward), software engineer. Their challengers are Republicans Anthony Scivolette Jr. (4th Ward), an entrepreneur consultant; Alexander Hosier Jr. (5th Ward) an employee of Westchester Hudson Linen Supply; James Gibbons Jr. (6th Ward), self-employed; David Brown (7th Ward), an assistant service manager; and Paul Herman (8th Ward), a police officer.
Christenfeld said Democrats had developed a detailed platform of “keeping taxes low while not impairing services” and “exploring duplication between city, town and county government, and the city, school district and library district to reduce expenses.” Their environmental goals include converting making government buildings more energy efficient where feasible and purchasing hybrid vehicles for the city.
“We believe, of course, that safety is a primary issue, but address it by getting more cops out onto street” and hiring civilian employees for desk work, said Christenfeld.
The Democratic slate of candidates has hit the campaign trails hard, according to Christenfeld. “Candidates have worn out soles of their shoes. They have blisters and sore knees. I think these are good signs,” he said. “Republicans have much more money, so they have TV and newspaper ads and lots of full-color mailings on glossy paper. We don’t do that. Our campaigning is all … person-to-person.” Democrats have reported $16,000 in campaign contributions during 2006 and 2007; Republicans have raised $24,000 during the same period.